What are your opinions about rubber on the running boards?

I have a 37 coupe that i'm street rodding. I'm planning on keeping the body 100% stock except for the modified firewall for the 351C. My running boards are kind of in some bad shape and would need a lot of work to smooth them out and fill all the holes where the rubber mats would of been. I'm leaning towards adding the running board mats but i'm not 100% sure. I don't think there is any real down side to them but i thought i'd ask. I just don't want to make a bad decision and hate them. Do they last long? Do they wear real bad? any input would be great.

In my humble opinion, rubber is best. Use a good one like Drakes and it will last a LONG time. But they do require cleaning and conditioning to keep looking good. Of course paint does also. Actually we have our cars so low now that few people step on 'em. Except kids at events. If you have rubber, no harm no foul. If you have paint, who knows the outcome. I kind of like not having to yell at kids, so rubber for me. Of course I like handles and hinges also. Heck, I had my 53 F100 boards coated with bed liner so I can step on 'em if I want. Joe

go with glass boards unless your building a restorod.

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Originally posted by shine
go with glass boards unless your building a restorod.

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I really want to keep it an all steel car. My dad has a 31 ford street rod that is pretty low and is full fendered. It doesn't have any rubber and the paint has held up amazingly. I do know that sometime it will begin to show wear. I'm leaning towards rubber unless someone gives me a good reason not to go rubber.

For my 2 cents worth, go with rubber. The painted running boards look realy slick, but you just can't keep kids off them, and every damn thing that you drop while working around the car lands on the running board.---Paint chips and touched up paint chips show real bad on the running boards.

I second the bed liner suggestion.

Wonder how my 66 C-10 would look, 100% bedliner.... no more rock chip worries!

If you're going for a sharp Street Rod look (and have no kids and a wife you can keep off the paint), go with just painted. However, if you want functional, go with rubber. It still looks good, and I've seen rubber mats that have a series of chrome strips that go front to back. It adds a little style to an otherwise plain black board.

Don't like the rubber idea,I would just fix it right,not cover it up.:cool: